By Emman Ovuakporie
The defence of budget estimates in the ninth Assembly is fast taking a different shape as hearings are conducted secretly and journalists chased out of venues.
Since last week that the Senate started attending to Ministries Departments and Agencies of Government, journalists have been barred from covering major Ministries.
The latest happened on Friday when the clerk of the North East Development Commission Committee chased journalists out of the venue.
However, what disturbs most journalists is the secrecy behind the exercise.
Last week, the media was barred by both Houses from covering the budget defence of most MDAs.
Which puts a question mark on the credibility of the budget defence exercise.
In the Senate, the media was not allowed to cover MDAs like FIRS, National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, Airforce, Ecology Department, just to mention a few.
Although, the Senate President, Sen. Ahmad Lawal, on Tuesday came out to say that the media was only excused because the discussion as at that time bothered on National Security.
However, what about MDAs like FIRS, FCT, PRIMARY HEALTHCARE, FEDERAL MINISTRY OF HEALTH, and even the DEPARTMENT OF LOCAL CONTENT, were these MDAs in the National Assembly to also discuss Security related issues?
Some of the Committees in the House of Reps also adopted the rule of sending out journalists invited to cover their budget defense, they include Foreign Affairs and North East Development Commission committees.